Floating minnow bucket



March 22, 1938. c. F. BAXTER 2,111,959

FLOATING MINNOW BUCKET Filed July 27, 1956 1X1 'ENTOR.

6% Jam Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in floating minnow buckets. 7

One of the objects of my invention'is the provision in a floating minnowbucket of the kind described of novel means for trapping minnows to beretained in the bucket for use as bait.

A further object of my invention is the provi- I sion on the bucket ofnovel ballasting means which also serves as a keel when the bucket is 10floating.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel means forautomatically closing a doorway in one side of the bucket.

Another object of my invention is the provision of two interchangeableend members adapted for removable attachment to one end of the minnowreceiving compartment, each having an air tight chamber which serves tosupport that end of'the bucket in a floating partly submerged positionin Water, one of said end members having therethrough a minnow entrance.and means for permitting the entrance therethrough of minnows butpreventing their exit therethrough, whereby with the interchangeable useof the two end members, the bucket may be employed to trap and retainminnows, or used merely as a retainer for minnows caught by other means.

Still another object of my invention is the provision. of a floatingminnow bucket of the kind described, which is simple, cheap, strong,durable,

not likely to get out of order, which is convenient to use, and whichefficiently traps and securely retains minnows alive and ready for useas bait.

The novel features of my invention are here- ,35 inafter fully describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention, Fig. 1, isa. longitudinal vertical sectional view of my improved floating minnowbucket, shown provided with the minnow trap- 40 ping means and in itsfloating operative position in water.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken. away, of the bucket equippedfor use only as a minnow retainer.

Fig. 3 is a section-on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a reduced top view, partly broken away, of the bucket shownequipped, as in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the differentviews.

The bucket is provided with a tubular cylindrical intermediate portionI, provided with a minnow retaining compartment 2.

The upper side of the portion I is providedwith a doorway 3, which isnormally closed by a door 4 hinged at one end by a pintle 5 to one ofthe end walls of the doorway 3, so as to be swung from the closedposition, shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 4, to the open position,indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. To the bottom and outside of theintermediate portion I, diametrically opposite to 5 the doorway 3 isfastened edgewise a longitudinal weight 6 of substantial length andwidth, which serves as a keel and also as ballast for retaining thebucket, when floating, with the doorway 3 up and above the water line.10

A coil spring I is attached at one end to the under side of the door 4,its other end being attached to an eyelet 8 fastened to a transversepartition 9, which separates the compartment 2 7 from an air tightchamber II in a conical end 15 in Fig. 1, of the portion I is a conoidalend portion I3 provided adjacent to its left end'with a transversepartition I4.

An entrance for minnows comprising a longitudinal tube I5 extendsaxially through the end 2 portion I3, its right end being fastened tothe portion I3 and open to the outside water, andits left end extendingthrough and fastened to the partition I4 and communicating with thecompartment 2. In the end portion I3 encircling the 30 tube I5 is an airtight chamber I6, which with the air tight chamber I I sup-ports thebucket in a horizontal floating partly submerged position in the water.As shown in Fig. 1, the tube I5 is located below the water line when thebucket is 5 floating, so that minnows can enter the tube I5 and passtherethrough into the compartment 2. For attracting the minnows into thebucket, there is fastened to the partition 9 a hook H on which bait I8may be hung, as shown in Fig. 1. 40

To prevent the minnows in the compartment 2 from passing therefromthrough the tube l5, there are fastened at their 'outer set of ends tothe inner wall of the tube I5 slight spring wires I9 which convergeinwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. The minnows will pass inwardly betweenthese wires I9, but the latter will prevent the minnows passingoutwardly through the tube I5.

The large end of the portion I3 is cylindrical diametrically oppositepins 22 projecting radially from the portion I.

Opposite sides of the portion 8 are provided with holes 23 therethroughto admit water into the compartment 2 when the bucket is floating. Theholes 23 and the doorway 3 are located at a substantial distance fromthe partition 9, so that when the bucket is upended, with the endportion l3 at the top, a quantity of water will be retained in thecompartment 2 in which the minnows in the bucket may swim and be keptalive.

The bucket is provided with a bail M the ends of which are respectivelypivoted to two diametrically opposite pins 25 attached to the outer sideof the portion l adjacent to the right end thereof, as viewed in Figs. 1and 2. When not in use the bail 24 may be swung to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 is shown at the right end of the intermediate portion l, aconical end portion 26 having a cylindrical portion 21 at its left end,removably fitted on the portion i, and provided with bayonet slots 28for receiving the pins 22.

In the left end of the conical portion 26 is a partition 29 which formsin the conical end portion an air tight chamber til of a capacity corresponding to the chamber H in the end portion l2, so that when the endportion 26 is substituted for the end portion it, the chambers 36 and lsupport the bucket in the horizontal floating position in the water. Theend portion 26 is used when it is not desired to use the bucket fortrapping minnows. By removing the portion 26 and substituting theconoidal end portion l3, the bucket may be used for trapping, as hasbeen described.

The keel weight 6 is disposed so as to ballast and to properly balancethe bucket, when it is floated.

The pointed ends of the end portions i2 and 26 are each provided with aneyelet 3! to which a cord may be attached for drawing the bucket throughthe water. When so drawn the keel 5 serves to guide the bucket straightahead. When the bucket is to be used merely as a minnow retainer and notfor trapping, and the closed end portion 26 is employed, such portionexcludes small creatures, such as crawfish, which are nonutile as baitand which might, if the end portion were open, enter and eat the bait inthe compartment 2.

Many modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appendedclaims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:--

1.111 a floating minnow bucket, the combination with an intermediateportion having a compartment adapted to contain minnows, and two endportions respectively provided with two ir tight chambers adapted tosupport the bucket in a horizontal floating partly submerged position inwater, of an entrance below the water line communicating with saidcompartment, and guarding means permitting minnows to enter saidcompartment through said entrance but preventing their exittherethrough.

2. In a floating minnow bucket, the combination with an intermediateportion having a compartment adapted to contain minnows, and two endportions respectively provided with two air tight chambers adapted tosupport the bucket in a horizontal floating partly submerged position inwater, of a minnow entrance tube below the water line communicating atone end with said compartment and open to the outside water, andguarding means permitting minnows to enter sai compartment through saidtube but preventing their exit therethrough.

3. In a floating minnow bucket, the combination with an intermediateportion provided with a compartment adapted to contain minnows, and twoend portions respectively provided with two air tight chambers adaptedto support the bucket in a horizontal floating partly submerged positionin water, of a tube extending below the water line through one of saidend portions from the outside thereof to said compartment and adapted toserve as a minnow entrance, and guarding means permitting minnows toenter said compartment through said tube but preventing their exittherethrough.

In a floating minnow bucket, the combination with an intermediateportion provided with a compartment adapted to contain minnows, and anend portion having an air tight chamber, of a removable end portionhaving an air tight chamber, said chambers, when said removable portionis attached to one end of said intermediate portion, being adapted tosupport the bucket in a horizontal floating partly submerged position inwater, a minnow entrance tube below the water line extending throughsaid removable portion from the outer side thereof to said compartment,and guarding means permitting minnows to enter said compartment throughsaid tube but preventing their exit therethrcugh.

5. In a floating minnow bucket, the combination with an intermediateportion having a compartment adapted to contain minnows, and hav ing inone side a doorway, and an end portion provided with an air tightchamber, of a door hinged to said intermediate portion and adapted to beswung to and from a position closing said doorway, a spring normallyengaging said door and having a tension normally closing said door, alongitudinal weight of substantial length and width attached edgewise tothe outer side of said intermediate portion diametrically opposite saiddoorway and adapted to serve as a keel and also as ballast for retainingthe floating bucket with the doorway above the water line, an endportion attached to said intermediate portion at the end opposite tothat to which the first named end portion is attached, and having an airtight chamber, said air tight chambers being adapter to support saidbucket in a horizontal floating partly submerged position in water, aminnow entrance open to the water outside said bucket and communicatingwith said compartment and disposed below the water line, and meanspermitting minnows to pass inwardly through said entrance but preventingtheir exit outwardly therethrough.

CHARLES F. BAX'IER.

